Stephan Bachmann

Synthesis of Nickel Nanoparticles with N-Doped Graphene Shells for Catalytic Reduction Reactions

The synthesis of novel nanoparticles is of general importance for the development of efficient heterogeneous catalysts. Herein, the preparation of carbon‐supported nickel‐based nanoparticles (NPs), modified by nitrogen‐doped graphene layers, is reported for the first time. The resulting materials were characterized in detail by TEM, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), XRD, elemental analysis (EA), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), temperature‐programmed reduction (TPR), BET, and Raman analysis. Initial catalytic tests revealed the potential of this class of compounds in hydrogenation reactions.

Manganese(I)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Ketones Using a Defined Chiral PNP Pincer Ligand

A new chiral manganese PNP pincer complex is described. The asymmetric hydrogenation of several prochiral ketones with molecular hydrogen in the presence of this complex proceeds under mild conditions (30-40 °C, 4 h, 30 bar H2 ). Besides high catalytic activity for aromatic substrates, aliphatic ketones are hydrogenated with remarkable selectivity (e.r. up to 92:8). DFT calculations support an outer sphere hydrogenation mechanism as well as the experimentally determined stereochemistry.

Selective catalytic hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines using iron pincer complexes

The selective catalytic hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines with the well-defined Fe(PNPCy) pincer complex 2 is reported. This iron pincer catalyst shows superior catalytic activity and selectivity in the reduction of various nitriles including industrially relevant adipodinitrile in high yields under relatively mild conditions.

A Biomass-Derived Non-Noble Cobalt Catalyst for Selective Hydrodehalogenation of Alkyl and (Hetero)Aryl Halides

Hydrodehalogenation is a straightforward approach for detoxifications of harmful anthropogenic organohalide-based pollutants, as well as removal of halide protecting groups used in multistep syntheses. A novel sustainable catalytic material was prepared from biowaste (chitosan) in combination with an earth-abundant cobalt salt. The heterogeneous catalyst was fully characterized by transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, and successfully applied to hydrodehalogenation of alkyl and (hetero)aryl halides with broad scope (>40 examples) and excellent chemoselectivity using molecular hydrogen as a reductant. The general usefulness of this method is demonstrated by successful detoxification of non-degradable pesticides and fire retardants. Moreover, the potential of the catalyst as a deprotection tool is demonstrated in a multistep synthesis of (±)-peronatin B (alkaloid).

Biomass‐Derived Catalysts for Selective Hydrogenation of Nitroarenes

Development of catalytically active materials from biowaste represents an important aspect of sustainable chemical research. Three heterogeneous materials were synthesized from inexpensive biomass-based chitosan and abundant Co(OAc)2 using complexation followed by pyrolysis at various temperatures. These materials were applied in the catalytic hydrogenation of nitroarenes using molecular hydrogen. A variety of diversely functionalized nitroarenes including some pharmaceutically active compounds were converted into aromatic amines in high yields, with high selectivity, and with excellent functional group tolerance. This green protocol has also been implemented for the synthesis of a biologically important TRPC3 inhibitor.

Discovery and optimisation of 1-hydroxyimino-3,3-diphenylpropanes, a new class of orally active GPBAR1 (TGR5) agonists.

A series of non-steroidal GPBAR1 (TGR5) agonists was developed from a hit in a high-throughput screening campaign. Lead identification efforts produced biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid derivative (R)-22, which displayed a robust secretion of PYY after oral administration in a degree that can be correlated with the unbound plasma concentration. Further optimisation work focusing on reduction of the lipophilicity provided the 1-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acid derivative (R)-29 (RO5527239), which showed an improved secretion of PYY and GLP-1, translating into a significant reduction of postprandial blood glucose excursion in an oral glucose tolerance test in DIO mice.

Highly Efficient Synthesis of a Staphylococcus aureus Targeting Payload to Enable the First Antibody-Antibiotic Conjugate

A practical synthesis of the complex payload for an anti-Staphylococcus aureus THIOMABTM antibody-antibiotic conjugate (TAC) is described. The route takes advantage of a delicate oxidative condensation, achieved using a semi-continuous flow procedure. It allows for the generation of kilogram quantities of a key intermediate to enable a mild nucleophilic aromatic substitution to the tertiary amine free drug. The linker component is introduced as a benzylic chloride, which allows formation of the quaternary ammonium salt linker-drug. This chemical process surmounts numerous synthetic challenges and navigates deeply colored and unstable compounds to support clinical studies to counter S. aureus bacterial infections.